Voiceover Narrations Viewers Are Not a Fan Of
So there were voiceover narrations that worked splendidly, some that did not but didn’t receive open criticism from so many. We did a small piece for movies that went well as far as voiceover narrations, it’s time we came through with the opposite for those that viewers just slammed. There’s the old adage that says “we can’t please everyone.” True. But what if there’s too many of them expressing the same opinion? As far as show business is concerned, ratings matter – it might be a defining moment of whether a show will make it to another season or not.
Playa In Marbella
Derived from itv’s synopsis of the show: this new series follows the world of former TOWIE star and entrepreneur Elliott Wright, delving into his personal and business life as he runs his high end restaurant ‘Olivia’s’, named after his beautiful daughter. The restaurant is situated near Marbella, a familiar home to ITVBe audiences and Europe’s most luxurious resort. Giving a sneak peek into everything that goes into creating an unforgettable night on the Costa del Sol with Elliott setting the ground rules for the staff early on in the episode, it becomes clear that Elliott has high expectations but with rules he seems to break himself… Things seem to go from bad to worse as his girlfriend Sadie doesn’t get the staff’s outfits on time for the white party leaving them wearing their black uniform, Elliott is forced to fire his General Manager three hours before the event and his Marketing Manager turns up to the event late. With the demands of the restaurant, his girlfriend Sadie and being a dad, how will Elliott cope?
So that’s what the show is all about and the internet shows evidence of people anticipating the show. Now that it’s live this is what people have to say:
@irenekelly41: Seriously the voiceover guys putting me off watching it #PlayaInMarbella
@_clarecatherine: Who the hell is this voiceover?! Annoying af #PlayaInMarbella
@shivvycha: #Playainmarbella the voiceover is so cringe….. I love crap tv but even I have limits
@dianerankin3: Wots with voice over!! #PlayaInMarbella
@JessFleur16: #PlayaInMarbella this is absolutely #cringe! What is the voice over about and why are they acting like they’re in a bad school play?! #awful
@xVictoriaBx: Wow, this Elliot Wright programme is a bit cringe, not what I expected! What’s with the voice over?! #PlayaInMarbella
It makes one wonder if that was intentional, was it Tom Davis’s voiceover narration or was it the screen write?
Narcos
The show is a Netflix exclusive, set and filmed in Colombia. It tells of a notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, who became a billionaire through the production and distribution of cocaine. Of course he is under the scrutiny of the DEA agents, other drug lords and various opposition entities. Narcos is currently on its second season.
It’s more of mixed comments with this show but viewers have really good ones when it came to their not-so-flattering comments on the voiceover.
@JackLugo1: I’m up to ep 5 of #Narcos. Sometimes the voiceover gets on my nerves but overall a great series
@drake_baer: Follow up: “Narcos” helps me understand why movie people think that voiceover is a narrative crutch.
@jesskatbee: @EwaSR @jpsmythe do you think it worked, Ewa? I really enjoyed Narcos, but the Goodfellas-lite voiceover did my head in. So ‘knowing’
@AkagamiNoSteven: the lethargic voiceover in Narcos does it no favors
@DreamInLace: I started #Narcos in hopes it would be my new Breaking Bad but I can’t get into it. The voiceover is just so..uh…
@ArchedEyebrowBR: do subsequent eps of Narcos have as much voiceover as ep 1? bc i’m finding that element extremely #unsmooth
@NyashaJunior: I might like #Narcos if not for this voiceover.
The Great Gatsby (2013 movie)
The movie is based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel of the same title. It follows the life and times of millionaire Jay Gatsby and his neighbor Nick, played by Tobey Maguire, who recounts his encounter with Gatsby at the height of the Roaring Twenties. Anne Billson, in an article she wrote for The Telegraph said, “The most irritating thing about The Great Gatsby (which I mostly enjoyed) was Tobey Maguire’s voice-over.” Her sentiments seemed to be echoed by a number of tweets.
@Sean_Huckel27: I hate his face. I remember when the Great Gatsby trailer came out, I literally shouted “NOPE” when his voiceover started
@damiella: After The Great Gatsby and Labor Day, I can’t handle another Tobey Maguire voiceover. It’s like the opposite of a Jon Hamm voiceover.
@HeidiKKim: Great #Gatsby: Wish Baz Luhrmann had gone further over the top & relied less on traditional (sloooow) voiceover narration.
@JoePezzula: Puzzling over the extensive use of VoiceOver in The Great Gatsby.
@kathleenq: I have no idea how I feel about The Great Gatsby trailer. Tobey can’t do a voiceover for crap. TOO MUCH BAZ, NOT ENOUGH FITZY!
Social media has simply made it so easy to share thoughts and opinions, some of which are hilarious while others not so. Worse, some of them don’t have a clue how voiceovers work, what goes on in casting and in the studio but it would be hard to defend yourself as these are the end product consumers. There would be no show if there were no viewers like there won’t be ads if there was no consumer base.
If you were the voice actor and this is what’s said about your work – what’s the worse that’s been said about a voiceover you made?
